High performance gas turbine engines typically rely on increasing turbine inlet temperatures to increase both fuel economy and overall power ratings. These higher temperatures, if not compensated for, oxidize engine components and decrease component life. Components of the gas turbine, particularly the combustor are periodically inspected visually. Currently, manual boroscopes or actuated inspection heads are operated for combustor inspections.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,271,894 issued to Devitt et al. on Apr. 6, 2010 shows an imaging system for robotically inspecting gas turbine combustion components. In particular, the disclosure of Devitt et al. is directed toward a system for in situ inspection of a surface of a hot gas component of a turbine. The system includes a robot having an elongated inspection arm extending toward the surface of the hot gas component; and an inspection head carried adjacent an end of the inspection arm remote from controls for the robot. The inspection head is manipulated by the inspection arm to locate the inspection head adjacent interior wall portions defining the hot gas component including by displacing the inspection head in a generally axial direction and generally radially toward a wall portion of the hot gas component being inspected. The inspection head is configured with a UV system to excite and detect fluorescence from a taggant material disposed in a coating on the hot gas component.
The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming known problems and/or problems discovered by the inventors.